Page 78 - 2020 Classical Singer Magazine January Summer Program Issue

The Music Major Minute:
Why Major in Music Education?
2019/20
Bachelor’s
BA + 7 yrs.
Master’s
MA + 7 yrs.
Augusta, Georgia
$36,178
$41,089
$45,739
$52,533
Uinta County, Wyoming
$46,400
$50,900
$49,400
$53,900
Boise, Idaho
$40,639
$42,431
$41,834
$50,546
New York, New York
$57,845
$65,026
$65,026
$87,510
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
$57,845
$64,712
$65,026
$71,893
Dale County, Alabama
$39,301
$45,121
$45,193
$55,964
Kansas City, Missouri
$38,505
$43,363
$40,061
$46,460
many musicians find church jobs directing church choirs for both the general congregation or the primary age group. You can make more money as the choir director than as the soprano section leader in a church job. A music education degree can provide you with skills to climb to the top of the part-time music gig scene.
University Teaching Positions
If you dream of teaching in a university, buckle up
for a longer and more competitive career path. State universities require a terminal degree (DMA, PhD, DM, etc.),
demonstrated excellence in your field (choral conducting, solo singing, or mastery of K–12 music education), and college-level teaching experience. Many singers take adjunct work to accumulate necessary college experience for future full-time professor jobs while working on their doctorates. Tenure track university jobs are few, and the candidates applying for them are many.
A music education degree doesn’t necessarily help or hinder this process unless you are looking
to be a university music education specialist. These professors often have a music education undergrad
78 Classical Singer / Jan/Feb 2020